It’s been decades since blackmail forced Troy Callahan to retire from playing professional hockey, and he’s built a successful career behind the bench. When he’s offered the opportunity to coach the Asheville Ravens—the most hated team in the ECHL—he’s convinced that his no-nonsense attitude is just what the team needs to put their focus back on hockey. But Troy is disheartened when he finds that the Ravens have signed Shane North, a player known for his aggression—especially when Shane’s rough good looks give Troy inappropriate thoughts about a player, even if Shane’s set to retire at the end of the season.

Shane’s career in the majors never quite took off. Wanting to quit on his own terms, Shane agrees to a one-year contract with the Ravens and finds himself playing for a coach who thinks he’s an aging goon and with a team that doesn’t trust him, the coach, or each other. Despite his determination to not get involved, Shane unwillingly becomes part of the team… and is just as unwillingly drawn to the gruff, out-and-proud coach. As the Ravens struggle to build a new identity, Shane and Troy succumb to the passion that might cost them everything.

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Troy and Shane’s story was a joy to write – I loved writing about two characters who were so confident in what they wanted and determined to get it no matter what. These are two stubborn, opinionated and passionate men and their interactions were so much fun to write. 

— Avon Gale - Author Coach's Challenge

I hope this series continues forever. I always have time for more of Avon Gale’s quirky, impeccably written hockey players. Shane is the perfect smartass, and watching him fall for Troy is terrific fun.

— Sarina Bowen, USA Today bestselling author of Him

EXCERPT

There was enough room on the charter bus for everyone to have a row to themselves, but that didn’t help, since Troy never had been able to sleep on a bus.

So, at three in the morning, Troy watched coaching videos as he slumped down in his seat with a pair of earbuds. He was scowling at the videos and muttering under his breath about how stupid they were when he felt someone slide into the seat next to him.

Shane, of course.

“You are fucking kidding me with this,” Troy hissed as he yanked his earbuds out. He looked around the bus, even though it was obvious from the silence that everyone was asleep, and even if they weren’t, Troy was up near the front, and the person closest to him—Quinn—was snoring with his head on the window and had one of those sleep-mask things covering his eyes.

“You ever stop working?” Shane slouched down in his seat, which made him barely visible to anyone in the darkness of the bus’s quiet interior.

“I can’t sleep on these things. And no. Not really. I even dream about fucking hockey.”

“What the hell are you doing?” Troy’s cock hardened immediately. “You trying to get me fired?”

“Everyone’s asleep, Coach. Thought you could show me some of those videos.” Shane’s smile was sly. He reached out, took Troy’s phone, and magically made the videos reappear. He grabbed one of the earbuds and put it in his ear. “You should really passcode lock your phone.”

“You should really go back to your own seat.” Troy flipped to the next video. “Hang on. Let me find one about not making stupid fucking choices on a moving bus while your teammates are asleep at o-dark-thirty.”

MEET THE AUTHOR

AVON GALE

Avon Gale wrote her first story at the age of seven, about a “Space Hat” hanging on a rack and waiting for that special person to come along and purchase it — even if it was a bit weirder than the other, more normal hats. Like all of Avon’s characters, the space hat did get its happily ever after — though she’s pretty sure it was with a unicorn. She likes to think her vocabulary has improved since then, but the theme of quirky people waiting for their perfect match is still one of her favorites.

Avon grew up in the southern United States, and now lives with her very patient husband in a liberal midwestern college town. When she’s not writing, she’s either doing some kind of craft project that makes a huge mess, reading, watching horror movies, listening to music or yelling at her favorite hockey team to get it together, already. Avon is always up for a road trip, adores Kentucky bourbon, thinks nothing is as stress relieving as a good rock concert and will never say no to candy.

At one point, Avon was the mayor of both Jazzercise and Lollicup on Foursquare. This tells you basically all you need to know about her as a person.